Dr. Irvin Reid

Irvin Reid, PhD, will celebrate his inauguration as Wayne State University’s ninth president during a week-long celebration September 14-20. Since his arrival last fall, Dr. Reid has announced major improvement and growth initiatives, as demonstrated in his 10 challenges for the future of Wayne State University. He hopes to realize these visions during his first 24 months as president and has already begun laying the groundwork.

Prior to joining Wayne State, Dr. Reid had served since 1989 as president of Montclair State University, the second largest institution of higher education in New Jersey. Montclair, previously a state college, achieved university status in 1994, which is a tribute to the advancements the institution made in its academic programs and facilities, and in strengthing and diversifying its faculty, staff and student body under Dr. Reid's leadership.

During his presidency, Dr. Reid placed particular emphasis on increasing opportunities for gifted students through the Honors Program, a pervasive global education program, the support of information technology and the computerization of campus life. These initiatives, among many others, were achieved despite a period of no-growth or actual decline in state assistance. This accomplishment demonstrates Dr. Reid's ability to prudently manage resources, to prioritize key projects and to develop private resources for the support of the institution.

Prior to assuming the presidency at Montclair, Dr. Reid was a tenured professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In l981, he became the chair of the department of marketing and business law and in 1983 was appointed dean of the School of Business Administration. During his deanship, he led the school to reaccreditation of the undergraduate school and initial accreditation of the MBA program. Under his leadership, the School of Business at Chattanooga was recognized in 1987 as one of the top three regional business schools by U.S. News and World Report.

While serving as president of Montclair State University, Dr. Reid held directorships on the board of Fleet Bank, N.A. and Cali Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc., both listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He has previously served on the boards of National Westminster Bank of New Jersey, National Westminster Bank of USA, National Westminster Bancorp and the First Tennessee Bank of Chattanooga. Dr. Reid was recently appointed to the New Jersey/Israel Trade Commission by Governor Christine Todd Whitman and serves as the chair of the commission's education committee.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Reid's familiarity and comfort with the business world has allowed him to bring innovative ideas and resources to the universities where he has served. As dean of the Business School at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Reid was able to attract significant private matching funds for a statewide private partnership program and for other endowed chairs, as well as for faculty and student support programs. With a faculty of approximately 40 members, the school had 21 endowed programs.

Dr. Reid holds a BS and MS in general experimental psychology from Howard University and an MA and PhD in business and applied economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.